The End of Our Reign

Another 4 day weekend later, we are relatively well-rested for our exams upcoming this week. We are getting quite used to the holiday schedule here, and are considering writing a formal request to the U.S. government to take a page out of Spain's book and add a handful of national holidays- 4 day weekends are infinitely more pleasant. Perhaps we will all seek employment in España after our graduation (knock on wood).

But don't fret- amongst our relaxation, we managed to find a little time to enjoy ourselves. Earlier in the week, we were notified that the current number 1 DJ in the world, Armin van Buuren, would be performing at a venue just half an hour outside of Barcelona on Friday night. The opportunity was too good to pass up. We timed the journey perfectly and arrived just in time to catch all of Armin's set, which, in true Euro fashion, began at the reasonable hour of 2 am. It was the first foray into the world of trance music for most of us, and it more than exceeded expectations.

Saturday night was just as good- Gabe's father very nicely treated us to excellent seats at the highly-contested Barcelona-Valencia match. At least, it was supposed to be highly contested, given Valencia's undefeated record in away games. Barcelona dispatched them with relative ease, though- the final score was 4-0.

We also balanced our revelry with some cultural explorations. One of these was a visit to La Pedrera, another Gaudi-designed building. The highlight of the structure was the roof, which had some neat sculptures that were clearly nature-inspired, as is typical from Gaudi, not to mention the great views of the city and La Sagrada Familia.

Christmas shopping was also a common goal for all of us this past weekend. Fortunately, we live in the perfect area to do just that. A large square very close to us, conveniently, also undergoes an annual transformation into a big outdoor christmas-themed boutique, which offered great opportunities for gift shopping.

It was there that we also got to witness one of the odder Catalan Christmas traditions- that of the Caga Tió. Little children would line up near the stage in the front of the square, which contained on it a large log with a face painted or glued onto its front. When it was their turn, the kids, about 10 at a time, would get on the stage, grab a stick, and smack the humanized log with their stick while singing a song (in Catalan, and thus incomprehensible.) It was only later we learned that what the children are requesting from the log, literally, is that it "poop" out presents for them. I realize this sounds ridiculous, so I cordially invite you to do a little research yourself if you are harboring any doubts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caga_ti%C3%B3

Anyway, with about a week left and several exams looming, I will do my best to include one more entry, but no promises. If not, this has been an absolutely incredible trip, and I hope these tales from our adventures have kept our readers at least mildly entertained. We look forward to returning to the States soon and seeing all our family and friends. Ciao, amigos!